Typewriter ribbon



Aug. 1-, 1939. s. A. NElDICH' 7,990

TYPEWRITER RIBBON Filed Feb. 28, 1936 INVENTOR I Samuel/1 M'zkzz'ck.

BY 4 m Patented Aug. 1, 1939 PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITER RIBBON Samuel A. Neidich, Burlington, N. J assignor, by' mesne assignments, to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1936, Serial No. 66,240

6 Claims.

This invention relates to typewriter ribbons including as such, ribbons for use with typewriters, adding machines, time stamps, date stamps-and all similar business machines.

3 The invention has for its object to provide a relatively thin, light and durable ribbon free from lint and loose fibres which might tend to clog the type characters and in which an ink composition may be heavily loaded in such a manner that its delivery under repeated type impacts may be gradually effected over a long period of use and from which sharp and strong impressions are obtained.

To attain this object I provide a ribbon base of woven rayon in which at least the major portion of the filaments composing the yarns of the weave are irregular in cross section. I have discovered that most effective loading of a ribbonbase with the ink for suitably gradually deliver- 3 ing it under repeated type impacts, is obtained by the use of rayon yarns composed of a multiplicity of filaments of irregular cross section in which the ink compound may seep to transient locations formed by the irregularly shaped interstices between individual filaments of the yarn. These interstices are larger and have greater surface areas than those formed between filaments having smooth surfaces or substantially regular cross sections and are larger, thereby giving the F woven fabric a greater ink carrying capacity. The ink is fugitively held in these relatively large irregularly shaped interstices between the associated filaments and also to' an extent in the similar interstices between the associated yarns. It

\ appears, however, that the large reservoir for the ink compound is in the spaces between the individual filaments of the yarn pieces and from this reservoir the ink may be apportioned through many months of use of the'ribbon under the repeated impacts of the type. Preferably the filaments composing the yarns of the weave consist of those of the so-called dull or semi-dull type obtained by the addition of pigments while the cellulose is in solution. Pigmentation of the rayon filaments causes innumerable lumps and depressions all over the filaments causing them to take on highly irregular shape as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a short length of one of the filaments magnified five hundred times and Figure 2 is a view in cross section, in approximately the same magnification, of yarn spun from a plurality-of filaments corresponding to the one shown in Figure 1. A small area is shown loaded with ink composition.

The above mentioned irregularities have the effect of spacing the yarn filaments from each other in more or less irregular fashion and proslightly viscous typewriter ribbon ink having a non-drying base may be readily packed in large quantities. V

In the showing of the filament in Figure '1 the outstanding portions are indicated by the lighter stippling as shown at H) and the valleys or depressions by the heavier stippling indicated at H. In Figure 2 the part indicated by l2 may be taken, for example, as a cross section of the filament shown in Figure 1 and preferably to 18 of such filaments are spun together into a yarn providing the large interstices a few of which are indicated at l3. Into these the ink composition which may be any suitable dye or coloring matter added to a vegetable oil such as castor or peanut, or a mineral oil such as petrolatum is loaded or padded by passing the fabric containing the yarns through a vat containing the ink and subsequently feeding the fabric between coacting rollers which thoroughly squeeze the ink into the fabric and between the filaments and remove any excess of ink composition.

While I prefer to use a cellulose acetate yarn for the weave I do not intend to limit myself to this type of rayon. While I prefer to use yarns having a filament count of approximately 15 to 18 I do not limit myself to this number of filaments per yarn except where such limitation may definitely appear in any of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A typewriter ribbon comprising a weave of rayon yarn made from pigmented filaments, loaded with an ink composition between the filaments.

2. A typewriter ribbon comprising a weave of rayon yarn made from filaments of high peripheral irregularity such as pigmented filaments, loaded with an ink composition between the filaments and between the yarns.

3. A typewriter ribbon comprising a weave of rayon yarn made from approximately fifteen to eighteen filaments of high peripheral irregularity such as pigmented filaments, loaded with an ink composition between the filaments and between the yarns.

4. A typewriter ribbon of woven rayon yarn,

viding a sponge-like body to the yarn into which at least the major portion of the yarn consisting of a plurality of substantially dull rayon filaments having peripheral irregularity providing irregular which are irregular in cross-section.

6. A typewriter ribbon of woven yarn at least the major portion of which consists of filaments having peripheral irregularity providing irregular interstices having large surfaces between contiguous filaments, the yarn being loaded with ink in said interstices.

SAMUEL A. NEIDICH. 

